Power connector for an LED strip assembly of a light fixture

Abstract

An LED strip assembly for a light fixture includes a PCB strip and a power connector electrically connected thereto. A rear of the PCB strip is mounted to a support wall of a frame of the light fixture and LEDs are mounted to a front of the PCB strip. The power connector includes a connector housing having a contact cavity and a mounting tab configured to be mounted to the support wall of the frame of the light fixture. The power connector includes a power wire assembly coupled to the connector housing having a power wire and a power wire contact terminated thereto. The power wire contact has a spring beam mechanically and electrically connected to a power pad of the PCB strip at a separable mating interface to electrically connect the power wire to a power circuit of the PCB strip.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An LED strip assembly for a light fixture, the LED strip assembly comprising:
 a PCB strip having a front and a rear extending between a first side and a second side, the rear configured to be mounted to an inner surface of a support wall of a frame of the light fixture, the PCB strip having a power circuit, the PCB strip having LEDs mounted to the front of the PCB strip and powered by the power circuit, the PCB strip having a power pad at the front of the PCB strip electrically connected to the power circuit; and 
 a power connector electrically connected to the PCB strip, the power connector including a connector housing having a contact cavity, the connector housing having a main body and a mounting tab extending from the mounting tab, the main body configured to be located rearward of an outer surface of the support wall of the frame, the mounting tab configured to be mounted to the support wall of the frame of the light fixture and extend forward of the inner surface of the support wall of the frame, the power connector including a power wire assembly coupled to the main body of the connector housing, the power wire assembly including a power wire and a power wire contact terminated to the power wire, the power wire contact being received in the contact cavity, the power wire contact having a spring beam mechanically and electrically connected to the power pad at a separable mating interface to electrically connect the power wire to the power circuit. 
 
     
     
       2. The LED strip assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the power wire contact is electrically connected to the power pad by a solderless connection. 
     
     
       3. The LED strip assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the LEDs include a front surface facing the frame opening, the spring beam extending along the front of the PCB strip such that the spring beam is flush with or rearward of the front surface of the nearest LED. 
     
     
       4. The LED strip assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the LEDs include a front surface facing the frame opening, the mounting tab extending along the front of the PCB strip such that a front of the mounting tab is flush with or rearward of the front surface of the nearest LED. 
     
     
       5. The LED strip assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting tab is L-shaped forming a gap between the mounting tab and a first side of the connector housing, the gap being configured to receive the support wall of the frame. 
     
     
       6. The LED strip assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the connector housing includes a support arm extending from the main body, the support arm forming the mounting tab and receiving the support wall of the frame between the support arm and the main body. 
     
     
       7. The LED strip assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the support arm electrically isolates the spring beam from the support wall of the frame. 
     
     
       8. The LED strip assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the connector housing includes a support arm extending from the main body, the support arm forming the mounting tab, the support arm including a contact channel open to the contact cavity, the contact channel receiving the spring beam of the power wire contact. 
     
     
       9. The LED strip assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the power wire contact includes a poke-in receptacle receiving the power wire and a poke-in beam engaging the power wire in the poke-in receptacle. 
     
     
       10. The LED strip assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the power wire contact includes a main body terminated to the power wire rearward of the support wall, the spring beam extending from the main body for connection with the power pad forward of the support wall. 
     
     
       11. The LED strip assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the main body is configured to be positioned rearward of an outer surface of the support wall and the spring beam is configured to be positioned forward of an inner surface of the support wall. 
     
     
       12. The LED strip assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the power wire and the main body of the connector housing are configured to be positioned rearward of the support wall and the spring beam extends forward of the support wall to interface with the power pad forward of the support wall at the separable mating interface. 
     
     
       13. The LED strip assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the main body includes a front, a rear, a top, a bottom, a first end, and a second end, the main body defining the contact cavity, the connector housing receiving the power wire through the first end, the mounting tab being secured to the support wall such that the front of the main body faces the support wall, the spring beam extending forward of the front to interface with the PCB strip forward of the main body of the connector housing. 
     
     
       14. The LED strip assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the contact cavity is a first contact cavity, the power wires a first power wire, and the power wire contact is a first power wire contact, the connector housing further comprising a second contact cavity, the power wire assembly further comprising a second power wire and a second power wire contact terminated to the second power wire, the second power wire contact being received in the second contact cavity, the second power wire contact having a spring beam mechanically and electrically connected to a second power pad of the power circuit. 
     
     
       15. The LED strip assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the connector housing includes a main body having the first contact cavity and the second contact cavity, the connector housing having a first support arm extending from the main body receiving the spring beam of the first power wire contact, the connector housing having a second support arm extending from the main body receiving the spring beam of the second power wire contact. 
     
     
       16. A power connector for an LED strip assembly of a light fixture, the power connector comprising:
 a connector housing having a main body and a support arm extending from the main body, the main body having a contact cavity, the support arm having a contact channel open to the contact cavity, the support arm having a mounting tab configured to be mounted to a support wall of a frame of the light fixture, the main body configured to be positioned rearward of the support wall of the frame, the support arm extending from the main body to position the mounting tab remote from the main body with the mounting tab positioned forward of the support wall of the frame; 
 a power wire assembly coupled to the connector housing, the power wire assembly including a power wire having a wire end and a power wire contact, the power wire contact having a mating end and a terminating end, the terminating end being received in the contact cavity and being terminated to the wire end of the power wire, the mating end including a deflectable spring arm received in the contact channel having a mating interface, the spring arm being spaced apart from the terminating end by a gap, the gap configured to receive the support wall of the frame of the light fixture, the support arm insulating the spring arm from the support wall of the frame. 
 
     
     
       17. The power connector of  claim 16 , wherein the terminating end is configured to be positioned rearward of an outer surface of the support wall and the mating end is configured to be positioned forward of an inner surface of the support wall. 
     
     
       18. The power connector of  claim 16 , wherein the main body of the connector housing includes a front, a rear, a top, a bottom, a first end, and a second end defining the contact cavity, the connector housing receiving the power wire through the first end, the mounting tab of the support arm being secured to the support wall such that the front of the main body faces the support wall, the spring beam extending forward of the front to interface with the PCB strip forward of the main body of the connector housing. 
     
     
       19. A light fixture comprising:
 a frame surrounding a frame opening, the frame having a base and a support wall extending from the base, the support wall having an inner surface facing the frame opening and an outer surface opposite the inner surface, the frame is configured to support an optical element in the frame opening; and 
 an LED strip assembly coupled to the frame, the LED strip assembly including a PCB strip having a front and a rear extending between a first side and a second side, the rear being coupled to the inner surface of the support wall with the front facing the optical element in the frame opening, the PCB strip having a power circuit, the PCB strip having LEDs mounted to the front of the PCB strip and powered by the power circuit to emit light to the optical element, the PCB strip having a power pad at the front of the PCB strip electrically connected to the power circuit, the LED strip assembly including a power connector terminated to the PCB strip, the power connector including a connector housing having a contact cavity, the connector housing located rearward of the outer surface of the support wall of the frame, the connector housing having a mounting tab located forward of the inner surface of the support wall of the frame and mounted to the support wall of the frame of the light fixture, the power connector including a power wire assembly coupled to the connector housing, the power wire assembly including a power wire and a power wire contact terminated to the power wire, the power wire contact being received in the contact cavity, the power wire contact having a spring beam mechanically and electrically connected to the power pad at a separable mating interface to electrically connect the power wire to the power circuit. 
 
     
     
       20. The light fixture of  claim 19 , wherein the connector housing includes a main body and a support arm forming the mounting tab, the main body being positioned rearward of the outer surface of the support wall, the support arm extending from the main body such that the mounting tab is forward of the inner surface of the support wall with the support wall positioned between the mounting tab and the main body of the connector housing, the support arm electrically isolating the spring beam from the support wall.